The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-05-12

| the Northern Pacific, Mr.. Smalley, whose
special car was attached to our train.
He was very polite and invited several
Of US to make ourselves at home In his
car. 1t was occupied by himself, his
secretary, o Mr.. Barbour and Mrs. Bar.
bOur.
had been told before leaving Port
land that the trip up the Columbia river
was delightful one, but l never
dreamed of anything so grand as l % G.
tually found 1t. nave seen and traV-
eled on the Rhine, the Seine, the
Thames, and our own beautiful Hudson,
the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri. But
! for scenery and beautiful stream the
Columbia 0Qtrivsls them all. Scarcely
had we left Portland when the gorgeous
nesa Of the scenery became apparent,
The railroad winds with the river,
scarcely ever further than q hundred
yards from the banks, and again Cross
ing over trestlewOrk branch streams In
Vulnerable. You leave Portland from
the east side side Of the river, but with
In twenty miles the train crosses to the
west bank. Across the river on the east
runs chain of wooded mountains form
lug foreground to Mount Hood, which
rises thousands of feet above, In perfect
cone shape, q spOtless white, being GOV
cred by perpetual show. The beauty of
this view, with the setting sun shining
upon 1t, Is simply indescribsble. On
the west bank c. the river our train Is
rolling along, winding IN serpentine
curves around massive rock formations
five hundred to six hundred feet
high covered with moss and fir. ALI at
once some one shouts: OH look there,
and as we all turn we gsz9 upon tiny
falls, that Is, tiny as to the quantity of
water, for 1t Is only stream which at
the spot 1t flows over the rock Is not
over six fe Z Ia width, but before 1t
reaches the bottom 1t has turned into q
veil Of spray so feet wide. II Is called
the bridal veil and falls about 400 feet.
Oil said Mr. Smslley, that's very pretty
but is only one Of hundreds Of little cas-
cades that you will see for the rest of
the afternoon. And so 1t proved. Some
times 1t would be only o little white
streak crawling down the creVasses In
the rocks, again perfect torrent OF
water rushing madly from one ledge OF
rocks to the other. All Of a sudden we
came to a gorge not over 90 feet wide
but running for miles | am told, be-
tween about 900 feet of perpendicul
rock. A little rustic bridge spanned the
entrance and 1t reminded me Of the
gorge de TRENT In Switzerland, above
lake Them, only this one Is very much
the most wonderful and pic
tuTe quely located. What little land
there is between the rocks and
the river is in most places
cleared and covered with fruit trees all
In blossom, and gardens booming with
fresh vegetables. Where 1t is not culti-
waited the air Ia re1Olent with the per
fume Of wild flowers Of every descrip
tiOn and variety. At Portage, about 80
miles up the river, we took supper. The
restaurant was kept by fine old New
England lady, whose silver locks aud
matrOnly sweetness made you feel at
home as soon as you entered the dining
room. The meal was something that
eastern rest8urateuTs might feel proud |
of. Fresh salmon caught in the COlUm
bla, spring chicken, roast beef, all the |
vegetables of the season in quaint
ties, Well, suffice it to say, l don't |
know of railroad eating house In the |
east that ever got as good me in as |
In this little place away up in the c.
lumbis valley. After good meal, good
cigar and stroll to see the new locks |
the government Is building here,
again took my seat on the rear platform |
of the directors car, and then gszsd |
and msrVeled until MIR. Smalley called |
me In, saying the night air might give |
me cold. Mr.. Smslley ls one of the |
trio that bought out the Cleveland Her
aid In '76 or II After short converse
tiOn he remembered all about me, AM |
said he was present at my benefit CON
cert on my return from Europe. This |
world is so small we meet friends every
where. With love to you both, am ever |
Your loving brother, CHARLIE